


can you keep a secret?

by Gellsbells



Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Missing Scenes, Possible Canon divergent, Short One Shot, post 3x03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 02:52:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15110336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gellsbells/pseuds/Gellsbells
Summary: Mattie is getting ready to take Sophie to school, but their newest house guest, Leo, is proving to be a distraction.





	can you keep a secret?

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a fluffy little one shot set between ep 3x03 and 3x04. Based partially on needing some more cuteness between these two and how no one in the house seems to ask any questions.

 

Mattie sits at the breakfast table much like she has the last few mornings since returning  home from the synth compound. Toby sits to the side of her chewing his cereal so loud, she can feel a chill run up her back at the sound. Meanwhile, Sophie is eagerly telling Leo about the movies he has missed since he was last in the home as well as sharing her latest reason, or more like excuse, as to why she doesn’t need to go to school that day, which earns a chuckle from both him and Toby.

She catches Leo’s gaze from across the table, willing herself not to blush when he gives her a small smile before focusing his attention back to Sophie.

Mattie keeps waiting for someone to say something. To ask the question that she has been anticipating since that night, when she woke in her own bed with his arms wrapped around her wondering herself what it meant.

She hasn’t been blind to the sideways glances from her brother when they sit together at the dining table for dinner and Leo pulls up the chair to the side of her, every time.

Or the raised eyebrow from her mum when she tells them they are heading out in the afterwards. She's thankful that her mum has her hands full with the Dryden Committee that she doesn't have the time to question Mattie more comprehensively like she would have before the synths became a part of their day to day lives.

She tries to ignore that and the fact that Leo’s eyes follow her around the room as she tidies up the empty dishes, placing them in the sink to soak. She announces to the room that she’s going upstairs to get ready before trying to leave the room without meeting his eyes again, acutely aware of the clush that has already begun to creep up her neck.

When she looks at herself in the bathroom mirror and isn't sure of the girl staring back at her. Although facing herself in the mirror has become easier and easier. The first few days after, that day, she couldn't even bear to meet her own gaze the gravity of what she weighing too heavily on her, making her disgusted with her own reflection.

Now when she looks at the person staring back at her she can almost recognise the old her in there, staring back at her.

She pushes her hair behind her ears, leaves it for a moment, deliberates holding it back away from her face before brushing it forward again. She gives a frustrated groan as her hair continues to rebel against her efforts to tame it. She allows it to fall over her face partially, telling herself, good enough, leaving the small bathroom to make her way downstairs to collect her sister.

However as she moves past her room, a hand grabs her wrist and pulls her in, the door being shut behind her.

She's stunned until strong arms wrap around her and she lets herself relax back against his chest.

“Leo,” she warns as he brushes her hair back away from her neck and she find the logical part of her brain that reminds her that they could get caught at any moment to the part of her that craves this touch, this comfort.

She spins around to face him and is caught by the broad smile on his face, one so genuine that she can’t help but wrap her own arms around his torso and smile herself.

These moments of playfulness, seem to be becoming more and more frequent with Leo. As if the physical changes within him that made him human are starting to affect his behaviour more and more. He is less stoic, less pragmatic with each day, and Mattie can’t help but find herself falling more and more for him.

There is a type of respite that she finds in these moments, perhaps that is why she wants to keep them between just them. Their own private escape.

“You are going to get us in a lot of trouble,” she says with her index finger pointing into his chest, the sternness in her voice undermined by the grin on her face.

“You mean Laura,” he muses as he bends down to press his lips against her neck.

It lasts a moment, the pressure of his lips against her bare skin, but Mattie feels the touch reverberate through her whole body.

“I mean everyone,” his fingers are now moving underneath the material of her sweater, and any resolve she had left disappears. But the movement of his fingers stops and she can feel a tension in his body.

“You think they’ll be mad?” he asks, clear concern in his voice.

She hasn’t really thought about what her family would think, beyond the initial reaction of what she would imagine is shock and surprise.

Would they be mad? Concerned?

Leo was a good man, he had tried to save Laura before Hester drove a knife into the back of his head and he had protected his brothers and sisters for so many years on his own.

“No, just, surprised I guess.” Leo, seems relieved and she wraps her arms tighter around him her voice lowering  “But then there would be questions, and no more sneaking into each others rooms at night.”

“Ah,” Leo says slowly as a realisation seems to wash over him. “That would be a shame.” A mischievous glint in his eyes as his fingers continue to creep up the smooth bare skin of her back and Mattie feels her body subconsciously arch into his at the sensation.

“Yeah,” Mattie replies, thinking over the past week and the numerous nights they have found one another. Sometimes just laying in his bed in the loft staring at the glow in the dark stars Mattie and Sophie put up there one afternoon, creating their own place to escape.

They can stare at those stars for hours, hands clasped, or her head against his shoulder until sleep takes them before the vibration of her alarm wakes them again and they part ways to maintain their secret. Mattie doesn’t want that to stop.

She pulls him down for a kiss, his lips moving against hers in a way that still leaves her wanting a bit more.

“Do you have to go again today?” he mumbles against her lips as his fingers continue their path up her back.

Her heart drops a little. She had started back at university earlier in the week in some kind of attempt to return to normality.

Leo had stayed in the safety of the Hawkins home, not feeling quite ready to brave the town on his own. Toby had eagerly offered to take him out on one occasion, to which Mattie had responded with a quick ‘No’ earning herself a very put upon look from her brother, before she shrugged her shoulders explaining that Leo was still healing, he had been in a coma for a year.

“I do,” his fingers halted and his lips moved to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, sucking the skin there, making her gasp out loud . “Unfortunately.” she half whispers to herself, earning a small chuckle from Leo.

She pulls back to look him in the eyes, “You could come with me,” she pauses trying to decode his reaction, but gets nothing. “If you wanted to.”

His hand reaches up to cup her cheek, “Would you like that?”

Mattie paused for a moment. Isn’t that what normal people do, show off their boyfriend, because even though they haven’t had anything even resembling ‘the talk’ she knows that that is what he is to her.

“Yeah, I think I would.”

He pauses again and she can almost see the cogs turning in his head, weighing up the pros and cons.

“Okay,” he says with a smile and Mattie gives him a quick peck on the cheek, allowing herself to feel a little excited that she gets to bring him into another part of her world, at the prospect of being even a little bit normal.

A sharp knock on the door which makes the two of them jump, Mattie clutching her hand to her chest, “What?!” she shouts out, ignoring the grin on Leo’s face.

“Sophie is going to be late,” Toby’s voice shouts back through the closed door. Mattie reaches into her pocket, checking the time and sighs as she realises he’s right.

“Okay, I’m coming,” she shouts back.

“Also have you seen Leo? He’s not in his room and I wanted to ask him something,” Mattie’s eyes fly to Leo, whose grin has now disappeared. “Synth related.” Toby adds.

“He might be in the garden,” Mattie says quickly, while Leo mouths ‘Garden?’ back at her. She shrugs her shoulders before whispering, “It will give you time to sneak out.”

“What is he-? It’s bloody freezing out there.” Toby replies, and before Mattie can continue to convince him through the door they hear the squeaking of footsteps on the stairs.

She takes a deep breath, her heart still thudding in her chest, “You need to go now, I’ll meet you downstairs.”

He pulls opens the door and Mattie runs a hand through her hair, her heart returning to normal, before he pulls her in for one more kiss, Mattie half heartedly swatting him away, before he makes his way down the stairs, the tell tale squeak as he descends.

And she knows it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the house knows, but for now she lets herself enjoy this secret between them.

Just the two of them.


End file.
